Campaign Ads of Pepsi and Coke - Case Study Example

Pepsi vs. Coke Introduction Background This essay is based on campaign ads of Pepsi and Coke. The particular products considered in this essay are diet Pepsi and diet Coke. The proponent explores different marketing campaigns for the same product and two different marketing campaigns for the mentioned competing products. This is to give way for the analysis of these two company’s marketing agenda aside from making a point to sell their product offerings. Pepsi and Coke are known rivals not just in the US market, but in the world’s. Each of them wants to generate specific market share and one of their major ways of achieving it is through their appealing TV commercials. Coke is known for its ability to create attraction for its products through alluring TV commercials. They are known for remarkable songs such as the latest ‘Sweet disposition’ by Temper Trap. Aside from that, Coke is also noteworthy with its hilarious ads such as the one with a young priest swimming in the ocean and was caught by a seductive sexy woman who wanted to seduce him. It was emphasized in the commercial that the young woman did not have any idea about the man’s status. The turning point of that commercial was to make someone laugh as the man moved out from the water, wore his garments and made his way closer to the woman and blessed her with a sign of the cross on her forehead using a cold moist from the can of diet Coke. It was highly seductive at first due to highlighting sexy bodies from the characters. This was also made intense by seductive gestures and sexually suggestive look of the woman holding a diet Coke. However, what would be left in someone’s mind in the end would be the thought to laugh at that commercial. In the same way, Pepsi is creating an appeal for its products by using renowned celebrities in its various TV commercials. This is a specific bandwagon appeal in order to promote its product offerings to its target market. For example, Jackie Chan is a renowned product endorser of Pepsi. The list goes on and this includes Sofia Vergara and David Beckham. Sofia and David are renowned ambassadors of the diet Pepsi. Lately, Sofia is promoting the new diet Pepsi in a sleek packaging. As Sofia’s opinion in an interview about it, the said product would make her sexier making a complement with her entire character and personality. An actress, host, model and entrepreneur, Sofia won the response of South American audiences. In the same way, as a prolific English footballer, David Beckham won the hearts of his fans may they be youngsters, teenagers or adults. Everyone who has great affinity to football game would certainly know much better about David Beckham as a great athlete in his time. Thesis statement Modern marketing techniques emphasize the importance of creating a need for product or service offerings (Kotler et al., 1999; Boone & Kurtz, 2006). In the above mentioned cases, it is implied that Coke and Pepsi are eventually have strong efforts to create a need for their product offerings. Thus, the marketing issue involved between these two companies is not more on what the benefits consumers could acquire from a diet Pepsi or a diet Coke. Rather, consumers are bombarded with information that would help them recall the product. The created strategy of two companies is more than just about the product because everything boils down to influencing behavior. Thus, prior to creating a sale especially in a highly competitive world where consumers have many choices especially of the same product, one of the most important strategic moves of an organization is to influence the behaviors of its target audience and create a need for its product offerings. Target audience Diet Coke As mentioned earlier, Coke allures its audience into buying its products through a combined idea of associating music, and hilarious yet haunting concepts with its TV commercials. This remarkably was clear with its attempt to promote a diet Coke into its target audience. Music lovers would significantly appreciate the idea of a diet Coke commercial with a song entitled ‘Sweet Disposition’. The music is very fascinating and suiting music lovers. In a renowned internet social network like Youtube, everyone has the chance to upload a song of their choice. Many people certainly would love to hear about ‘Sweet Disposition’ being played. In fact, a certain teenager commented receiving his first kiss with his girlfriend when he played that song for her. The song does not have any connection with a diet Coke except however with the word ‘sweet’ in it. However, that would just make a little sense about what is in a diet Coke and what the commercial would want try to emphasize. Within the ad, there were various clippings of people who can do extraordinary things in the society such as nurse, painter and swimmer. The point of the commercial is actually challenging everyone to be extraordinary. This point was made even stronger by having ‘Sweet disposition’ played as background music. This particular ad is appealing to the youthful emotion which is full of hope and enthusiasm to do extraordinary things in life. Furthermore, the intriguing and sexually suggestive diet Coke commercial also is trying to capture the youthful drive, vigor and energy. These two commercials are not the same, but they are interrelated and trying to obtain one certain purpose. The goal is to target the youth audiences, suggesting something about their behavior and desire and allow them to associate with a diet Coke product. Diet Pepsi The diet Pepsi on the other hand is very clear about its bandwagon appeal. Sofia and David were specific icons that could describe about the concept of beauty, and appealing body figures that are oozing with charm and a high level of energy. As a result, there can be substantial impact of diet Pepsi ads on different audiences. One significant group of audiences would be those people with high value given to sports and other athletic activities. Another group would be those who have great concerns with their body figures. Sofia and David were just simply suggesting in their ads that with diet Pepsi, someone needs not worry loosing his or her body figure or high level of energy. As Sofia does drink diet Pepsi in the ad, she simply is suggesting that a thing about being sexy would not be lost at all; rather, it is even enhanced with the said product. Image created Diet Coke Diet Coke is creating an image of being cool and sexy thing to have. The use of cool music and hilarious yet excitingly sexy scenes in its ad subconsciously remind the target audience the thing about beauty and youthful glow of desire and energy. Diet Pepsi On the other hand, Diet Pepsi is trying to create an image of being famous and popular considering that it uses bandwagon appeal and particularly selecting the right character or personality to better describe what it is all about. This helps reminds the audience about the kind of behavior they should give towards a diet Pepsi product. How are they effective? Diet Coke Diet Coke is effective in its goal to create instant recall about its existence in the market by simply associating music and youthful desires with its ads. Diet Pepsi Diet Pepsi on the other hand is focused on giving too much emphasis on the ability of renowned icons that people talked about in their daily lives based on what would interest them. The bandwagon appeal proves to be effective for diet Pepsi considering that Pepsi by itself has remarkably been using this style in its ads for years. Rhetorical appeals Diet Coke Diet Coke commercials incorporate more about the emotional side of humans. Its consistent use of hilarious ads with significant inclusion of the human nature and desire proves to be a remarkable appeal to the human emotion. This in particular will help trigger to influence the human behavior. There would be a higher form of product recall as diet Coke associates human desire and identity in its ads. Diet Pepsi Diet Pepsi on the other hand is so concerned how it could maximize the authority of its renowned ambassadors in its goal to appeal to a wide range of consumers. This is evident on the style of Pepsi for years to use renowned international icons or celebrities in its ads for its various product offerings. Demographic Diet Coke Diet Coke is very particular with its target audience. The goal of Coke can be materialize by its high effort given in order to understand the universal nature of human culture. Coke is very particular with understanding the human experiences and highly associates them with their TV ads. As a result, diet Coke commercials turned out to be appealing to human behavior through focusing on the emotional side that everyone can relate even in varying culture. The key is to understand the universal human experience. As a result, diet Coke ended up appealing to people with high level of energy marked by a healthy glow of a youthful desire. Diet Pepsi Diet Pepsi on the other hand is also trying to influence behavior. However, unlike diet Coke, it does not particularly specify who should be its appropriate consumers. Bandwagon appeal which is remarkably used by diet Pepsi is so powerful to influence people at varying ages. For instance, a five-year old girl who happens to adore Sofia so much would be willingly convinced to go for a diet Pepsi. This is to assume that product recall on diet Pepsi is highly associated with Sofia in the first place. Diet Pepsi’s style in its ads is not so much of human experience or culture. Unlike, diet Coke, it does not limit the authority of its ambassadors to influence the target audience. As a result, there can be more specific market segments that may arise that eventually will need more extraordinary focus and attention. Conclusion In conclusion, it is important to understand that the purpose of ads from diet Coke and diet Pepsi was not actually to say something more about these products, but on how to influence the behavior of their target audiences. This specifically needs to be done in order to create a need for a diet Coke or diet Pepsi prior to generate sales. The marketing strategies for diet Pepsi and diet Coke may eventually vary, but the bottom line of them all is to create a need for them. As a result, the actual desire for these product offerings is eventually an outcome of a certain process of creation of needs. References Boone, L. E., & Kurtz, D. L. (2006). Contemporary Marketing (12th ed.). Ohio: Thomson/South Western. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G.,Saunders, J., & Wong, V. (1999). Principles of Marketing (2nd European ed.). Cambridge: Prentice Hall. Read More